


Problem-Free Philosophy

by hannahsoapy



Series: Quidditch League 2021 [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Hogwarts Eighth Year, N.E.W.T.s | Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests, POV Ron Weasley, Ron Weasley is a Good Friend, Song: Hakuna Matata (Disney), Supportive Ron Weasley
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 22:20:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30045600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hannahsoapy/pseuds/hannahsoapy
Summary: "I kinda think defeating Voldemort was the biggest test of our lives," Ron shrugged. "And as for NEWTs… I mean, I've done as much work as I can, at this point. I just don't think worrying about it will change anything."
Relationships: Harry Potter & Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Series: Quidditch League 2021 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2115477
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	Problem-Free Philosophy

**Author's Note:**

> Submission for Quidditch League Round 2: Once Upon a Song
> 
> Seeker for the Chudley Cannons
> 
> Prompt: Hakuna Matata
> 
> Word Count: 1236

"Hey, Harry, have you seen Hermione?"

Harry, with his head resting on the open textbook on the table in front of him, made a sort of groaning noise before looking up. "I think she left an hour ago. Not sure where."

Ron frowned. They had all taken to revising in odd places in preparation for NEWTs, because there was only so much one could take of sitting in the library, but Hermione was generally in one of three places: the Room of Requirement, an old classroom on the fourth floor that hadn't been used in years, or at a little table in the library closest to the Restricted Section.

Ron had tried the first two, and then found Harry at her usual table in the library, at which point he was stumped. Where had Hermione gone?

"Do you have the map?" Ron asked Harry, figuring that would be easier than running all over the castle.

"Um, I sort of… let someone borrow it?"

"What? Who?" Ron was surprised; Harry'd never lent it to anyone other than himself and Hermione before.

"Luna."

"Oh. What did she want with it?"

He shrugged. "Beats me. She said something about Nargles, though."

Ron sighed in defeat. "Guess I'll see if any of the ghosts have seen her," he decided. "You going to bed soon?"

"Yeah, yeah," Harry said, but Ron could tell he was smiling beneath his mess of hair. "Sure thing, Mrs. Weasley."

Ron kicked Harry's chair in retaliation as he left the library, but he wasn't really offended. He didn't mind being the one watching out for his friends — they had certainly done enough of the same for him over the years. And right now, with NEWTs only a few days away, it seemed that both Harry and Hermione needed to take several doses of Calming Draught.

Hermione being stressed about NEWTs was sort of a given, but Harry had surprised Ron. During the extra 'Eighth Year' McGonagall had opened up to them so that they could complete their education, Harry had become obsessed with his schoolwork. Hermione, of course, was delighted, but Ron viewed this new behavior with concern.

"I want something other than just my name to get me places," Harry had said when Ron finally confronted him about it, "and I've got a lot of catching up to do. Fighting off Voldemort every year wasn't really great for the quality of my education."

And okay, Ron had seen Harry's point, so he didn't tease or bother him too much about how much he was revising, but he did make sure neither of his two friends overdid it. Maybe that made him seem a bit like his mother sometimes, but if it got Harry and Hermione through the school year without going insane, then he was alright with it.

He'd decided to continue his search for Hermione in the Great Hall and was glad he did, because he found Luna and Ginny sitting together at the Ravenclaw table. It was late, and there were only a few other people in there, all with books and parchment spread around them as they all tried to cram for their NEWTs.

Neither girl noticed as he approached, so Ron quietly cleared his throat.

"What?" Ginny hissed, whipping around to glare at him. "I'm busy!"

"I just need to —"

He hadn't spoken particularly quietly, and a chorus of angry 'shhhhhhhs' from the other people in the Hall erupted at his voice.

" — borrow the map from Luna for a second," he finished in a whisper. Ginny's glare did not abate.

"Hermione's in the Quidditch stands," Luna replied without tearing her eyes away from her parchment.

"Er, thanks," Ron said, not lingering to ask how she knew who he was looking for _and_ where Hermione was without looking at the map. He left the Hall as quickly as possible and headed out to the grounds.

As he got closer to the pitch, it was easy to see where Hermione was. The sun had recently set, leaving only a faint, soft glow around the horizon to show where it had been, and Hermione had set up several orbs to float around her to make up for the disappearing light.

Ron trudged up the steps, sure that she could hear him, but when he got to the top, she didn't turn around.

"Hermione?"

She jumped up violently, drawing her wand as she turned, with her mouth parted for whatever spell was on the tip of her tongue, but when she recognized Ron she dropped back down as if under a Jelly-Legs Jinx and went a bit pale.

"Ron, I'm so sorry," she said. "I'm a bit on edge — NEWTs, you know?"

"Yeah," he smiled at her gently, "I know. What made you come out here?"

"Oh, well, I needed a little space." That was quite clear; Ron noticed that she'd taken up almost all the benches in this section with her notes and books. "I suppose I also missed coming up here," she added.

They hadn't had a Quidditch season this year. School had started a few months later than usual as it was, due to the extensive reconstruction the castle had needed, and, Hermione told him after one of her talks with McGonagall over the summer, anything that encouraged divisiveness between the Houses was to be avoided this year. Ron supposed he understood, but it was still a bit disappointing.

"So," Ron said, teasingly, "you came up here because you missed watching me fly circles around the hoops?"

"Shut up," Hermione said, but she was blushing and fighting a smile as she said it.

Ron laughed and moved some of her papers over so he could sit next to her. She dropped her head on his shoulder, and he slid an arm around her waist. He would've been happy to sit like that all night, but as the stars began to show, he was reminded that there was still curfew, and he tapped Hermione's side gently.

"Hmmm?"

"C'mon, let's go in."

"But I've got so much more to go over!" She leapt up as if she hadn't just been half asleep on his shoulder.

"There are _three_ days left, Hermione," Ron said, reasonably. "You can't possibly go over everything again."

"I can try," she protested weakly, but Ron could tell he'd won when she made a sharp gesture with her wand, and her things started arranging themselves into her bag. She didn't let him carry it for her, but he didn't complain when she offered him a hand to hold, instead.

"Aren't you just a little bit stressed about NEWTs?" she asked as they crossed the grounds back to the castle. "It's the biggest test of our lives!"

"I kinda think defeating Voldemort was the biggest test of our lives," Ron shrugged. "And as for NEWTs… I mean, I've done as much work as I can, at this point. I just don't think worrying about it will change anything."

"Probably not," she agreed, "but sometimes I can't help it. I'm not sure I could ever be so calm about stuff like this."

"Suppose you'll just have to keep me around then, yeah?"

Ron said it mostly as a joke, but then found he was a little more nervous about the answer than he liked. He needn't have worried, however.

Hermione looked up at him fondly and said, "I suppose I will."


End file.
